A great urban park creates an oasis in the city for people of all ages and – weather permitting – an ideal retreat for families with small children who need space to run, explore, and just enjoy everything from playgrounds, hiking and biking paths, and museums to outdoor sculptures, festivals, animals, skating, and old-fashioned picnics.

Here are eight city parks worth discovering, whether they're near you or waiting for you at your vacation destination.

1. Millennium Park (Chicago)

Overview: Watching your kids wait for water to spurt from the giant moving faces in artist Jaume Plensa's acclaimed Crown Fountain, you'll know why Millennium Park has been considered one of the country's best playgrounds for families since it opened in the Loop (Chicago's central business district) in 2004. Plan to spend a whole day here, with a stop to explore the Art Institute of Chicago. You can even stay for the evening and hear a concert in the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Don't miss snapping a family photo in front of Cloud Gate, dubbed "the Bean" by Chicagoans, a gigantic sculpture of highly polished stainless steel plates that reflects the city's skyline.

Kids also love: In winter, the enormous ice skating rink; in summer, riding bikes on the park's many flat paved paths (rentals available); mid-June to mid-August, the Family Fun Festival (interactive exhibits, music, and arts and crafts)

2. Rock Creek Park (Washington, D.C.)

Highlights: 12 miles of park fronting the Potomac River • 32 miles of hiking trails

Overview: Rock Creek Park is known as the site of the National Zoo, home to four of the country's few giant pandas. But both locals and visitors are more likely to come to Rock Creek Park for the nature center and planetarium, restored historic Peirce Mill and Estate, the picnic grounds, walking and biking paths, and the affiliated Old Stone House historic site and its English-style gardens.

3. Martin Park Nature Center (Oklahoma City)

Overview: Martin Park is a woodsy haven for wildlife – and a restful retreat for city dwellers – along the city's northwest edge. You're likely to see fox, deer, and even the occasional armadillo along gentle trails that cross rocky streams full of fish, turtles, tadpoles, and ducks. Reptile-lovers will especially love visiting the hands-on education center, and there's even a working "observation" beehive with 8,000-plus busy bees (safely behind glass).

Kids also love: The bird observation wall, guided nature walks, the playground's swing circle, playing in the creek, and story time at the education center

4. Stanley Park (Vancouver, Canada)

Overview: You'll need to spend at least a full day to sample the major attractions of this diverse park, which encompasses rainforest, beaches, a lake, and many popular sights, such as dramatic Siwash Rock. Cycling is a favorite way to enjoy the seawall and get around the sprawling park, or you can take the trolley shuttle between attractions. In the spring, the rhododendron garden is a must-see, as is the rose garden in summer, and don't miss the towering First Nations totem poles.

Kids also love: Riding the Stanley Park train (pulled by a replica of the locomotive for the first transcontinental passenger train to reach Vancouver in 1886); Ceperley Playground (with climbable fire truck); the sandy shore of Second Beach; Variety Kids Water Park; the Aquarium's beluga whale show and killer whale research presentation (great for older kids)

5. Prospect Park (Brooklyn, New York)

Overview: Like its better-known neighbor across the river (Central Park), Prospect Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux to be the ultimate retreat from the pressures of urban living. It has everything kids and their parents could possibly ask for in a park, from a zoo to seven playgrounds and a 1912 carousel. Don't miss the Audubon Center, the Greenmarket farmers' markets (held on certain days of the week), or the ice skating and roller skating rinks at LeFrak Center at Lakeside.

Kids also love: Boating on the lake, concerts in the historic bandshell, and the giant stumps and hollowed out trees at Zucker Natural Exploration Area

6. Encanto Park (Phoenix)

Highlights: 222 acres • 2 playgrounds • fishing pond • rides

Overview: Encanto Park, set in a neighborhood of historic homes, has been a favorite destination of Arizonans for decades. And the Enchanted Island Amusement Park (aimed at kids 10 and under) within the park is just one reason to take the kids there. Depending on the weather (summertime is hot in Phoenix), your visit may center around the lagoon, fishing pond, and swimming pool – or take advantage of the park's nature trails, sports facilities, and playgrounds. Note: Admission to Enchanted Island is free; a modest fee is charged for individual rides and attractions (or you can buy all-day ride passes).

Kids also love: Riding pedal boats and feeding ducks on the lagoon; the miniature train and Splash Zone at Enchanted Island

7. Golden Gate Park (San Francisco)

Overview: For starters, San Francisco's Golden Gate Park houses such family-friendly attractions as the California Academy of Sciences, the Japanese Tea Garden, a botanical garden, a bison paddock, and two genuine windmills. Then there's the much-loved children's playground, said to have been the first U.S. public playground when it opened in 1888. Completely revamped in 2007, it calls to kids with a towering rope pyramid that challenges climbers of all sizes and ages while preserving two forever favorites: the historic carousel and thrilling concrete slide.

Kids also love: The penguins, alligators, and planetarium shows at the Academy of Sciences; riding in pedal boats at Stowe Lake; biking or skating on John F. Kennedy Drive when it's closed to traffic on Sundays and all holidays

8. Patterson Park (Baltimore)

Highlights: 137 acres with a pagoda • 2 playgrounds • Boat Lake

Overview: Patterson Park became a park just 15 years after serving as a key battleground in the War of 1812, and its layout and architecture retain the elegance of days gone by. The community garden, skating rink, swimming pool, and marble fountain are well worth a visit. Kids will love playground #2, designed to mirror the city in miniature, complete with row houses and Baltimore's iconic clock tower. Be sure to step into the park's pagoda, too, built as an observatory with a spectacular view of the city.

Kids also love: Fishing on the lake, climbing to the top of the pagoda, the pool (in summer), and the ice rink (in winter)

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